Locking opening, and closing device



May 16, 1939.

G. MADLAND LOCKING, OPENINGVAND CLOSING DEVICE Filed July 1, 1937 2Sheets-Shem; l

2 Sheets-Sheet 2 G. MADLAND LOCKING, OPENI NG, AND CLOSING DEVICE FiledJuly 1, 1957 May 16, 1939.

A III Patented May 16, 1939 i UNITED sTAr-ss PATENT OFFICE 'LOUKING,OPENING, AND CLOSING 'DE IGE Application 'July 1, 1937, Serial No.151,378

7 Claims.

This :invention relates to locking, opening and closing devices.

It is an object of this invention to provide a "device whichshallcombine thefunctions of locking, closing and/or opening slidingdoors.

.A'further object is to provide a device of this character which shalleffect :a substantial savings in weight of approximately 35% oversimilar devices in which the locking device is separate 1'0 from theopening and closing device. I

A further object is to provide a combined locking and-closing devicehaving 'separablemeans and designed "to secure fullclosingoperationbefore the door is completely closed and automatic 1'5 closingmovement .ofsaiddoor and separaticn'of said means when said device is indoor locking position.

A further object is to provide 'a combined locking and closing devicefor sliding doors "in- .2 eluding separable means cooperable to securedoor closing movement wherein said means are spaced apart in the fullyclosed and locked position of said device.

A further object is to provide a locking, opening and closing device forsliding doors-embodying lugs and cooperable abutmentsfor obtainingopening and closing door movements, saiddevice being designed to'relievesaidlugs of'strain when said door is locked.

.30 A further object is to provide a-combined looking and closing devicehaving separable means and designed to secure 'fu'll closing operationbefore the "door is completely closed and separation of said means andtransference of the lock- .35 ing function to other parts of said devicewhen the door is thereafter moved in closing direction.

Other objects ofthe invention will become clear as the descriptionthereof proceeds;

In the drawings forming part "of this specifica- 40 'tion:

Figure v1 is a fragmentary elevation o'fthe'main and auxiliary doors ofara'ilway house car'showing a device of the invention applied thereto.

Figure 2 is a horizontal section taken on line 45 22 of Figure 'l.

Figure 3 is a horizontal section corresponding to the plane indicated byline 3- 3 of Figure -1 but showing the relationship of the lugs on thelever with the cooperating bracket when the door .50 is fully closed.

Figure 4 is a partial horizontal section illustrating the engagement'between'parts *of the device when the main door is to be 'moveditoclosed position, this door being shown in :itsmaximum :55 spacedposition "from .the auxiliarydoor.

furniture and the like.

Figure his a partial horizontal section illustratingthe engagementbetween parts of the device embodying the invention in order to impartclosing movement to the main door when said main door is separated fromthe auxiliary door less than themaximum distance.

Figure 6 is a partial horizontal section showing the disposing of theparts of the device of the invention when opening movement is to beimparted to the main door. 10

Referringto the drawings in which a preferred embodiment of theinvention is illustrated, it will be seen that the device of theinvention is shown applied to the double doors of a railway house carcommonly employed to close a door opening of extraordinary widthprovided in the sides of such house cars where they 'are utilized forthe shipment of bulky lading, such as automobiles, In such applicationof the device of the invention the lock plate '10 is '20 preferablysecured to the left hand or auxiliary door I I. The hasp fastenerl2,-hasp i3 and operating and locking lever I4 are then fastened as bymeans of rivets l5 to the right hand or main door Hi. The auxiliary andmain doors which 2 areshown for purposes of illustration only are ofwell, known construction, the auxiliary door ll embodying a metallicpanel I! provided with spaced horizontal corrugations l8 merging intovertical corrugations formed in the panel ad- .jacent the vertical edgesthereof. The vertical corrugation adjacent the front edge of theauxiliary door is illustrated and is designated by the reference numeralI9. An auxiliary door post 20 b and a "front stop angle 2| are fastenedto the front margin of the auxiliarydooras by means of rivets 22. Theknee brace 23 secured to the panel l2 and to the auxiliary door post 20serves to prevent rotation of said post under impact.

The main door I6 embodies a metallic panel '24 formed with aplurality ofspacedcorrugations 2-5 which merge into vertical corrugations ad-'jacent the vertical edges of the door. The front vertical corrugationof the main door is desig- 'nated by the reference numeral 26. The frontmargin of the main door I6 is reinforced by a channel member 21 which inthe closed position of the doors is received by the auxiliary door post20 and the front stop angle 2|. A nailing block .5 P is carried by theauxiliary door post 20.

The opening, closing and locking device illustrated may as readily beutilized with a single :sliding car door. In this case the lock plate 10'willpreferably be fastened tothe-carside, whereas the hasp fastener,hasp and operating and locking lever will be secured to the door.

The lock plate II! which is preferably in the form of a casting issecured to its supporting member as by means of horizontal rivets 28 andvertical rivets 29 and 30. The lock plate I0 is provided with verticallyspaced housing members 3I and 32 in which a locking pin 33 is receivedand retained. As clearly illustrated in Figure 1 of the drawings, thelocking pin 33 is provided with a straight or vertical side 34 adaptedto abut against the adjacent sides of the housing members 3I and 32 andan inclined side 35 adapted to cooperate with a similarly inclinedshoulder provided on the operating and locking lever I4 as hereinafterexplained. The lower portion of the pin 33 is formed with a slot 35adapted to aline with a slot 31 formed in the lock plate I 0 for thepurpose of receiving a seal.

Extending from the lock plate II] and preferably formed integraltherewith are upper and lower bracket members 38 and 39 in the form ofsockets. The bracket member 38 is provided with an opening 4|] while thebracket member 39 is formed with an opening 4| whereby entry into thesockets may be had and the side flanges 42 and 43 of the bracket 38 andthe side flanges 44 and 45 of the bracket 39 may serve as abutments aswill later more clearly appear.

The hasp fastener I2 is provided with a neck portion 46, the free end 41of which extends through the vertical corrugation 26 and through an eye48 formed in the hasp or link I3 for securing the link to the main doorIS. The outer end of the hasp or link I3 is reduced in thickness asindicated at 49 and is received between the flanges 50 and 5| of theoperating and locking lever I4, these flange being formed by bifurcatingthe end of the lever. The lever is pivotally secured upon the reducedend of the link by means of a rivet 52. A lug 53 extends upwarly fromthe lever flange 50 and a lug 54 extends downwardly from the leverflange 5 I. Intermediate its ends the operating and locking lever isprovided with a shoulder 55 having an inclination similar to that of theinclined side 35 of the locking pin 33.

With particular reference to Figure 4 of the drawings, it will be seenthat the main door I6 has been moved relative to the auxiliary doorwhich is shown in its closed position a suflicient distance to permitthe entry of the lugs 53 and 54 on the lever into the socket brackets 38and 39 so that the said lugs may engage the side flanges 43 and 45 ofsaid brackets. With said flanges of the brackets serving as fulcrums, aforce exerted upon the free end of the lever toward the left as viewedin Figure 4 will be transmitted to the hasp fastener I2 through the linkI3 so as to impart closing movement to the main door. This force will becontinued to be applied to the lever I4 until it assumes the positionillustrated in Figure 2 of the drawings at which time the locking pin 33will be lowered so that its vertical side 34 will engage the adjacentsides of the housing members 3| and 32 and the inclined side of the pinwill engage the inclined shoulder 55 formed on the lever.

It will be observed from Figure 2 of the drawings that the main door isspaced somewhat from the front stop angle 2| thereby insuring the properpositioning of the operating and locking lever I4 and the engagementtherewith of the locking pin 33. At this time the door is locked and thestress occasioned by the opening tendency of the door will be carried bythe lugs 53 and 54 and by the locking pin 33.

It is desired, however, and the instant invention provides for thetransference of the locking stress from the lugs 53 and 54 to thelocking pin 33 and its associated elements. In other words, theoperation of the device of the invention is such that when the door isfully closed, the lugs 53 and 54 will be separated from their abutments.This is clearly illustrated in Figure 3 of the drawings and may beobtained in any one of a plurality of ways.

With the locking, opening and closing device associated as shown inFigure 2 of the drawings, it will be apparent that opening movement ofthe door cannot occur. However, should the door move in the closingdirection, separation of the shoulder 55 on the lever I4 from theinclined side 35 of the locking pin 33 will permit said pin to lowerautomatically so as to take up the clearance thus provided. Thereforethe device is capable of automatic operation to effect separation of thelugs 53 and 54 from the abutments and the transference of the lockingstress to the locking pin 33 and the lock plate.

It will be clear, moreover, that where desired, separation of these lugsfrom their abutments may be obtained either by forcing the locking pin33 downwardly or by moving the door to fully closed position by a forceapplied directly to the door.

With reference to Figure 5 of the drawings, the flexibility of thedevice is illustrated. It will be observed that the spacing of the mainand auxiliary doors is less than the space shown in Figure 4 of thedrawings. However, by a proper angular relationship between the link I3and the door and between said link and the lever I4, engagement of thelugs 53 and 54 on the lever with the side flanges 43 and 45 can beobtained so that closing movement may be imparted to the main door.

The operation of the device of the invention in securing initial openingmovement of the main door is illustrated in Figure 6 of the drawings.However, the lever I4 has been disengaged from the locking pin 33 byraising the latter. The lever is swung toward the right as viewed inthis figure until engagement between the lugs 53 and 54 and the sideflanges 42 and 44 of the brackets 38 and 39 is had. Upon furtherswinging movement of the lever in the same direction, these side flangeswill provide fulcrums for the lugs so that the force applied to the freeend of the lever will be transmitted through the pivotal connectionbetween the lever and the link to the hasp fastener thereby exerting aforce upon the hasp fastener and upon the door to which it is fastened,which will move the door in opening direction. When the device hasperformed its function in this regard it is permitted to hang verticallyfrom the neck of the hasp fastener.

It will be apparent that numerous changes and modifications in thedetails of the invention will be clear to those skilled in the art. Itis intended, therefore, that all such modifications and changes becomprehended within this invention, which is to be limited only by thescope of the claims appended hereto.

I claim:

1. In a railway house car having a sliding door and a relativelystationary member associated therewith, the combination comprising alink carried by said door, a lever pivoted intermediate its ends to saidlink, lugs on one end of said lever, a member secured to said relativelystationary member having abutments, said lugs being releasablyengageable with said abutments to effect movement of said door inclosing direction upon swinging said lever in one direction, said lugsbeing spaced from said abutments in the closed position of said door andmeans on said relativeli stationary member associated with said leverfor preventing opening movement of said door.

2. In a railway house car having a sliding door and a relativelystationary member associated therewith, the combination comprising meanscarried by said door, a lever pivotally secured to said means, anabutment on said member, said lever and said abutment being separablyengageable to effect movement of said door in closing direction uponswinging of said lever in one direction, said door being partly open atthe end of the operation of said lever and means on said membercooperable with said lever at the end of its operation to secure spacingof said lever from said abutment for the purpose set forth.

3. In a railway house car having a sliding door and a relativelystationary member associated therewith, the combination comprising meanscarried by said door, a lever pivotally secured to said means, anabutmenton said member, said lever and said abutment being separablyengageable to effect movement of said door in closing direction uponswinging of said lever in one direction, said door being partly open atthe end 01 the operation of said lever and means on said membercooperable with said lever at the end of its operation for preventingopening movement of said door, said door being movable in closingdirection when said latter means and said lever are in cooperativerelationship to eiiect separation of said lever from said abutment, saidlatter means being biased to engagement with said lever to maintain saidseparation for the purpose set forth.

4. In a railway house car having a sliding door and a relativelystationary member associated therewith, the combination comprising alink secured to said door for swinging movement in vertical andhorizontal planes, a lever pivotally connected to said link, a lug onsaid lever, an abutment on said member, said lug being engageable withsaid abutment and said lever being swingable in a horizontal plane tomove said door in closing direction and means carried by said membercooperable with said lever to relieve said lug and abutment of forcestending to open said door.

5. In a railway house car having a sliding door member and a relativelystationary member associated therewith, means on one of said members, alever pivotally connected to said means for horizontal swingingmovement, a lug on said lever, a bracket secured to the other of saidmembers, an abutment on said bracket, said lug being engageable withsaid abutment and said lever being swingable to impart closing movementto said door, said bracket having means engageable with said lever torelieve said lug and abutment of forces tending to open said door.

6. In a railway house car having a sliding door member and a relativelystationary member associated therewith, a lever pivotally connected toone of said members for horizontal swinging movement, a lug on saidlever, a bracket secured to the other of said members, an abutment onsaid bracket, said lug being separably engageable with said abutment andsaid lever being swingable to impart closing movement to said doormember, said door member being partly open at the end of the swingingmovement of said lever, a vertically movable pin carried by saidbracket, said pin being engageable with said lever at the end of itsswing and cooperating therewith to secure said lug in spaced relation tosaid abutment.

'7. In a railway house car having a sliding door member and a relativelystationary member associated therewith, a link fastened to one of saidmembers for horizontal and vertical swinging movements, a leverconnected to said link for horizontal swinging movement, said leverhaving an inclined shoulder, a lug on said lever, a bracket fastened tothe other of said members, said bracket being formed with an abutment,said lug and said bracket being separably engageable and said leverbeing swingable to impart closing movement to said door member, saiddoor member being partly open at the end of the swinging movement ofsaid lever, a vertically movable pin having one side inclinedcorrespondingly to said shoulder carried by said lever, said pin beingengageable with said shoulder at the end of the swinging movement ofsaid lever and cooperating automatically with said shoulder to securesaid lug in spaced relation to said abutment.

GABRIEL MADLAND.

